OFFICIAL SPIDERZ MEGADRAFT INDOOR SOFTBALL RULES

TOURNAMENT FORMAT -

4 Game Guarantee: 1 play-In game and then a seeded double elimination championship bracket, with a consolation/Dog House bracket.

COIN TOSS will determine Home/Away for Play-In Games. Higher seed will determine Home/Away during bracket play until 1 remaining undefeated team, then that team will be Home in game 1 of championship. If an “If” game should be ford, coin toss will determine home/away for this final game.

BAT LIST -

ASA and USSSA Bats will be allowed! Current stamp(s) are mandatory.

BALLS SUPPLIED -

Balls will be supplied by Spiderz, and will be with Umpires at each field. Please make sure all balls stay at the field of play.

EVERYONE MUST PLAY -

Each team MUST bat all of their active roster players in the lineup. However, only 9 (nine) players will take the field for defense
A player CANNOT sit out from playing a defensive position for more than 7 innings, for every 14 innings played, unless a player should so choose to.
2 of the same “minority sex” players CANNOT sit the bench at the same time.
A player CANNOT be an EH for back to back games, unless that player should so choose to.

We ask each team to monitor this carefully. Please be respectful and fair to your teammates that also came to play.

NO SHOWS & RUNNING LATE -

If a player "No Shows" to a PLAY-IN game, and then shows up to the next game, the team can vote on if they want to have that player back or immediately removed from the roster/tournament and no longer eligible to win any prizes.
If a player "No Shows" to a BRACKET game, that player will be immediately removed from the roster and no longer eligible to win any prizes.
If a player is "Running Late" to a PLAY-IN game, the team can start the game without that person in the lineup. If he/she arrives BEFORE they have batted through the entire lineup, the player who is running late, must be added to the end of the lineup. However, if the player shows up AFTER they have batted through the lineup, that player is no longer eligible to play in that game and the team can vote to have that player removed from the tournament.
If a player is "Running Late" to a BRACKET game, the team must add him/her to the end of lineup and every time that player comes “up” to bat, and they're not there, his/her spot will be an out each time. Or, the team can consider the player a "No Show" and they will be removed from the tournament.

TIME LIMIT -

Game time is 45 minutes. Time starts after the coin flip/umpire plate meeting. Once time expires, we will complete the current inning. Games will NOT end in a tie!

Please keep in mind, if we can start games early, we will. Games can start as early as 30 minutes prior to scheduled start time. Please be early to your games or risk forfeit.

RUN RULES -

20 runs After 3 innings, 15 runs after 4 innings, 10 runs after 5 innings

PITCHING -

4'-10' floor to ceiling. Juking and faking is permitted. Pitcher must toe rubber at release of ball. All pitchers MUST wear a mask - NO EXCEPTIONS!

PITCH COUNT -

All batters will start with a 1-1 count.

No courtesy fouls.

INDOOR GAME PLAY GENERAL RULES -

Balls hit off the ceiling are LIVE, and can be caught for an out.
Balls hit off the side nets, will be considered a dead ball foul.
Balls hit off the back wall, including Home Runs, may be caught for an out.
Balls that are hit off the ceiling: Fair or Foul is determined by where the ball LANDS, not where the ball strikes the ceiling.

Furthermore, a ball may land fair, and roll foul if in front of 1st & 3rd base.

Because of close quarters, a Suicide Line between 3rd and Home will be LIVE. Once a runner has passed this line, a force at home plate will be LIVE.
No 5-man infield - must have 3 designated outfielders

HOME RUNS & HOME RUN LIMIT -

Home Runs will be any ball hit OVER the second lateral beam from the floor. Ball may hit the ceiling and carry over the beam for a Home Run.
Home Runs MAY BE ROBBED if the defensive player can catch the ball before it hits the ground.
Hit & Sit
Unlimited Home Runs.

COURTESY RUNNERS -

One runner per inning, per sex, per team. Runner has to be of the same sex and can be anyone on the team. However, if that runner comes up to bat in the lineup before he/she scores or gets out, that runner’s spot in the lineup will be an automatic out and NO OFFENSIVE EJECTION.

NOTE: A pinch runner may be used twice in the same inning if the person needing the runner gets on again (the pinch runner must also be the same runner used earlier that same inning).

DUGOUT RULES -

Players must stay in the dugout at all times when not playing defense. Or, if they are the on-deck or in-the-hole batters on offense. Non-rostered players will NOT be allowed on the field during game play. This means no base coaches that aren’t on your team’s roster. If you have someone keeping book for your team and they are not a rostered player on your team, please keep them in the dugout or in the spectators section. Please keep all equipment and bags inside designated dugout areas.

COED RULES -

Females can play anywhere on the field. There is not a coed outfield line. Females who are up to bat, CANNOT be thrown out at 1st base from an outfield position. Or, in an assist from the outfield. It will be the umpires discretion in determining outfield/infield positions.

FEMALE PLAYER COUNT -

If a team has 2 females less than their opposing team, the team with the lesser amount of females will be given an ONE auto-out to even the playing field. Every time that auto-out AB appears in the line-up, the auto-out will be taken. This auto-out can be put wherever in the batting line-up, and it will be enforced the entire game.

BASE ON BALLS -

If a male batter is walked, and a female batter is on deck, the male batter will be awarded 2nd base (no matter how many outs) and the female batter will hit in her position. If there are 2 outs, and a male batter is walked, the female batter on deck will have the option to hit or take an automatic walk as well. Batters when walked, must touch 1st base before occupying the next bag.

NOTE: Female on deck batters must CLEARLY be the next player up to bat, and in the on-deck circle area. If a female batter is on deck, and is not visible and the male batter in front of her is walked on 2 outs, the male batter will only get 1st base and the female batter MUST hit.

TIE-BREAKER RULES -

No games will end in a tie. In the event game time has expired and it’s a tie ball game, we will use the International Tie-Breaker Rule. Last out goes to second base. NO COURTESY RUNNER CAN BE USED FOR THE TIE-BREAKER INITIAL RUNNER ON SECOND BASE, UNTIL AFTER THE 1ST PITCH OF THE INNING.

ROSTER ADDITIONS -

NO additions will be made to any roster unless the tournament director adds them. In the event a player drops leading up to within 1 week of the event, the tournament director will make the best attempt to fill the empty roster spot with someone who is on the official Spiderz waiting list. If a player drops within 1 week of the event, that player’s team will play 1 less player.

INJURED PLAYERS -

In the event a player is injured during the game and cannot continue, that spot in the lineup will be an automatic out the 1st time that spot returns to an AB, then skipped each AB thereafter. If an injured player cannot play the next game, the team must play with 1 less player. If a team drops to less than 9, the Tournament Director will make best attempt to assign a "House Sub" (someone who has not played on a team yet) if available. If a player sits out an entire game due to injury, that player is NO LONGER eligible to play in any other games this tournament.

PROTESTS (Illegal Non-Roster Player Check & Illegal Player Re-Entry) -

All LIVE rosters can be viewed at any time by going to the Spiderz New Years Mega Draft website and clicking LIVE ROSTER.

If you are playing a team you feel has an illegal, non-rostered, player in their lineup and would like to appeal the roster: call time out (must be before the last out of the game), announce to the umpire that you would like to appeal a player on the other teams roster, present the umpire $100 CASH, and the umpire will stop the clock and contact a tournament director (TD).

You must have indisputable proof that the player is illegal. The TD will check IDs of the player(s) in question.

If a player is determined to be illegal, the appealing team will get their $100 back and the violating team (ALL PLAYERS) will be immediately removed from the tournament.
If player(s) are determined legal, the clock will restart and the $100 will be given to the umpire for wasting time.

All players must remain on the field until a TD comes to the field. If at any time the player(s) in question leave the field of play while waiting for the tournament director, they will be determined to be illegal and the team will be removed. No appeals can be made after the last out of the game.

If you are playing a team you feel has a player in their lineup that has missed a game and has now returned as an illegal disqualified player: call time out (must be before the last out of the game), announce to the umpire that you would like to appeal a player on the other teams roster, present the umpire $100 CASH, and the umpire will stop the clock and contact a tournament director (TD). You must have indisputable proof that the player is illegal. The TD will check IDs of the player(s) in question.

If a player is determined to be illegal, the appealing team will get their $100 back, the disqualified player will be removed from the lineup & dugout and the violating team will be forced to take an automatic out each time that player comes to bat the rest of that game.
If player(s) are determined legal, the clock will restart and the $100 will be given to the umpire for wasting time.

All players must remain on the field until a TD comes to the field. If at any time the player(s) in question leave the field of play while waiting for the tournament director, they will be determined to be illegal and the team will be removed. No appeals can be made after the last out of the game.

AWARDS/PRIZES -

If you or your team wins an award/prize, you must be on the current roster to claim. If you “no show” at any point, you'll be removed from the roster and forfeit any award/prize. If you become injured, and leave the tournament, you will forfeit any award/prize.

NO FIGHTING OR OBSCENE/FOUL LANGUAGE WILL BE TOLERATED

NO CARRY INS - Absolutely no carry ins of any food or beverage are permitted. There will be a concession stand on premise and any violation of this rule will be grounds for immediate removal from the facility and the tournament.

PLEASE PICK UP YOUR TRASH

**ALL RULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE PER THE SPIDERZ TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR’S DISCRETION**